Systems and methods for advertisement tracking

ABSTRACT

An apparatus comprising a server. The server can be configured to receive a request for content from a mobile computing device. The server can be configured to transmit the content to the mobile computing device in response to the request. The content can include an advertisement. The mobile computing device can be configured to store an indication of whether the content has been previously presented on the mobile computing device. The server can be configured to receive an identifier from the mobile computing device in response to a presentation of the content by the mobile computing device if the content is being presented for the first time on the mobile computing device. The identifier can indicate whether the content is presented on the mobile computing device for the first time. The server can be configured to monitor the exposure of the advertisement based on the identifier.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/862,992 filed on Aug. 25, 2010 which is a U.S. Continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/613,811, filed Dec. 20, 2006, now U.S.Pat. No. 7,788,337 which claims priority from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication U.S. Application 60/752,540, filed Dec. 21, 2005, contentsof both of which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties.

FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to advertising and, more specifically,to recording viewing of advertisements over electronic devices.

BACKGROUND

In a television broadcast medium, ratings of shows (proximate number ofviewers) presents a determination of how to value advertisements thatare associated with a given show. A determination is made as toapproximately how many people will be viewing an advertisement. Thiscorrelates to how to value the time slot for an advertisement.

In the digital communications market where advertisements are deliveredwith digital content, there does not exist such a valuation system. Itcan be easily determined if a person has received an advertisementassociated with digital content just by the recordation of the digitalcontent transmission. This would apparently be easy to measure on a onetime download basis, but cannot measure how many times a user may viewthe particular advertisement or whether other people are viewing theadvertisement due to the fact that the recipient forwards the digitalcontent with the associated advertisement to another user.

Therefore, there exists a need for more effectively evaluatingviewership of advertisements associated with digital content overnontraditional delivery means.

SUMMARY

A representative embodiment provides systems and methods for recordingviewing of an advertisement on a mobile computing device. In an examplemethod the mobile computing device initiates presentation of a digitalcontent file having one or more associated advertisements, transmitsfrom the mobile computing device at least one of an identifier for thepresented digital content file or an identifier of the associatedadvertisement over a wireless network to a server, and updates anadvertisement impression count at the server based on the transmitteddigital content file identifier or associated advertisement identifier.

In one aspect, it is determined if the digital content file is beingplayed for a first time on the mobile computing device and if it isdetermined that the initiated digital content file is being played forthe first time, the transmission and updating are performed.

In another aspect, the digital content file and associated one or moreadvertisements are received from another mobile computing device. Themobile computing devices include cellular phones.

In still another aspect, the advertisement impression count includesinformation associated with the mobile computing device that performedthe transmission. The information includes at least one of location,type of device, or account information associated with the mobilecomputing device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred and alternative embodiments are described in detail below withreference to the following drawings:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic diagrams of example systems formed inaccordance with representative embodiments; and

FIGS. 3-5 are flowcharts of example methods performed by the systemsshown in FIGS. 1 and 2 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A representative embodiment includes a client-server solution thattracks ad impressions generated by peer-to-peer file sharing where adsare inside the shared content.

FIG. 1 shows a user device 200, such as a mobile phone, having aprocessor 207, random access memory 208, persistent memory 209 (whichcould be rewriteable FLASH memory), a display 201, a keypad 202, one ormore speakers 203, and a cellular network radio data communicationcomponent 210. The radio component 210 allows data communications with apublic or private data network 218 such as the Internet via cellularwireless voice and data network base stations 214, associated mobilephone carrier 215 and a gateway 216. The radio component 210 sends andreceives a variety of packet data 229 according to a predefined protocol(UDP, TCP, SMTP, HTTP, etc) through the data network 218.

Via network 217, the device 200 may communicate to other mobile devicessuch as computers 221 and servers 231 via the network 218. The radio 210sends and receives both Short Message Service (SMS) messages 228 orsimilar messages through the phone network 217 to other devicesidentified by their phone numbers and sends a variety of packet data 229through the data network 218 via a predefined protocol (UDP, TCP, SMTP,HTTP, etc).

In one embodiment, a variety of short-range wireless communicationinterfaces include Bluetooth radio 211, Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) radio212, or an infrared transceiver 213. The Bluetooth radio 211 allowscommunication via a short-range microwave link 223 (10 s of meters) withBluetooth adaptors 222 connected to computers 221 and by extensionthrough them via a router 220 to other devices on the public or privatedata network 218. The Bluetooth radio 211 is able also communicatedirectly to other similarly enabled mobile phones.

WiFi radio 212 provides communication via short-range microwave links224 (10 s¬100 s of meters) WiFi base stations 219 connected via therouter 220, which may be incorporated into the 219, to the public orprivate data network 218. The WiFi radio 212 allows communicationdirectly to other similarly enabled mobile phones.

The infrared transceiver 213 allows communication with infrared adaptors232 connected to computers 221 and by extension through them via therouter 220 to other devices on the public or private data network 218.The infrared transceiver 213 also allows communication directly to othersimilarly enabled mobile phones.

The server complex 231 enables the download of protected (encrypted)digital media files to the device 200 and digital content keys to unlockthe protected content for use on devices properly authenticated.

Connected to the cell phone carrier 215 is a short message servicecenter 230 (SMS-C) that enables transmission of messages between phonesrouted by their phone number and between the server complex 231 andphones.

As shown in FIG. 2 , devices 402 and 412 (e.g. mobile phones) areequipped with cellular network radios 403, 413 that are connected to SMS404, 414 or packet data 405, 415 components. The radios 403, 413communicate with their associated mobile phone carrier 427 and onwardthrough a gateway 429 to a public or private data network 430 such asthe Internet via a cellular wireless voice and data network basestations425, 426. The devices 402, 412 communicate to each other and to othermobile phones and other devices such as a computer 434 and a server 431via the data network 430.

The radios 403, 413 send and receive both SMS messages 404, 414 throughthe phone carriers 427 to other phones/devices identified by their phonenumbers/identifiers and send a variety of packet data 405, 415 accordingto a protocol (such as UDP, TCP, SMTP, HTTP, etc) through the datanetwork 430.

In one embodiment, the devices 402, 412 include at least one of avariety of short-range wireless communication interfaces, includingBluetooth radios 407, 417, WiFi radios 408, 418, and infraredtransceivers 406, 416. The Bluetooth radio 407 may communicate withBluetooth adaptors 435 connected to computers 434 and by extensionthrough them via a router 432 to other devices on the public or privatedata network 430. The Bluetooth radio 407 is able also communicatedirectly to other similarly enabled devices.

WiFi radio 408 is able to communicate with WiFi base stations 433connected via the router 432 (which may be incorporated into 433 to thepublic or private data network 430. WiFi radio 408 may also communicatedirectly to other similarly enabled devices 412.

The infrared transceiver 406 may communicate with infrared adaptors (notshown) connected to computers and by extension through them via therouter 432 to other devices on the public or private data network 430.The infrared transceiver 406 may also communicate directly to othersimilarly enabled devices.

Connected to the data network 430 is the server complex 431 that enablesthe download of protected (encrypted) digital media files to the devices402, 412 and digital content keys to unlock the protected content foruse on devices properly authenticated. Connected to the cell phonecarrier 427 is an SMS-C 428 enabling transmission of messages betweenphones routed by their phone number.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example process 300 performed by the system shownin FIG. 1 . At block 310, a first user device (e.g. device 402)downloads content from the server 431. At block 303, a second userdevice (e.g. device 412) acquires the content from the first userdevice. After block 303, the process 300 continues on to the processshown in FIG. 4 or 5 .

FIG. 4 shows an example process 500 performed after the process 500shown in FIG. 3 . At block 501, a user device initiates presentation ofa content file. At block 502, the processor of the user devicedetermines if this is a first playback of the initiated content file. Ifit is a first playback, then at block 503, the user device informs theserver of the identity of the file that is/was played. At block 504, theserver updates a count of impressions of advertisements embedded in orassociated with the played content file. In another embodiment, theserver updates or records other information, such as location of theuser device, type of user device, account information associated withthe owner of the user device, or any other information that is useful toprovide an advertiser or someone who is assigning a value to anadvertisement. At block 505, the user device records the content file aspreviously played. Thus, FIG. 4 shows a process for recording when auser plays an advertisement associated with a content file at the firsttime it is presented to a user and not at subsequent times. The countsrecorded at the server are used to give value to the advertisements.

FIG. 5 shows an alternate embodiment process 600. At block 602, a userdevice initiates presentation of a content file. At block 604, the userdevice informs the server of the identity of the presented content file.At block 606, the server updates a count of impressions ofadvertisements embedded in or associated with the presented contentfile. At block 608, the user device records the content file aspreviously played. Thus, FIG. 5 shows a process for recording when auser plays an advertisement associated with a content file every timethe content file is presented to the user. The recorded count is thenused to set value for the advertisement.

While the preferred and alternative embodiments of the invention hasbeen illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Forexample, the steps performed in the process described need not be in theexact order shown or need not include all the steps shown. Accordingly,the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of thepreferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determinedentirely by reference to the claims that follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-readable storage device havinginstructions stored thereon that, if executed by a mobile computingdevice, cause the mobile computing device to perform operationscomprising: sending, from the mobile computing device, a request forcontent from a content sharing device; in response to the request,receiving, at the mobile computing device, from the content sharingdevice, a content file having content to be associated with at least oneadvertisement; determining, at the mobile computing device, whether theat least one advertisement to be associated with the content file hasbeen presented at the mobile computing device before; based ondetermining the at least one advertisement to be associated with thecontent file has been presented at the mobile computing device before,generating, at the mobile computing device, an associated advertisementidentifier, wherein the generated associated advertisement identifier isconfigured for use in updating a count managed at a remote server,wherein the count is used to set a value for the at least oneadvertisement; and sending, from the mobile computing device, thegenerated associated advertisement identifier to the remote server. 2.The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the contentsharing device is a peer device.
 3. The computer-readable storage deviceof claim 1, wherein the remote server is also the content sharingdevice.
 4. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein theassociated advertisement identifier is sent with account informationassociated with the owner of the user device.
 5. The computer-readablestorage device of claim 1, wherein the associated advertisementidentifier is sent with a location of the mobile device at the time theat least one advertisement was presented.
 6. The computer-readablestorage device of claim 1, wherein the associated advertisementidentifier is sent with user device information indicating a type ofuser device.
 7. The computer-readable storage device of claim 1, furthercomprising determining, at the mobile computing device, whether theplayback of the received content is a first playback.
 8. A methodcomprising: sending, from a mobile computing device, a request forcontent from a content sharing device; in response to the request,receiving, at the mobile computing device, from the content sharingdevice, a content file having content to be associated with at least oneadvertisement; determining, at the mobile computing device, whether theat least one advertisement to be associated with the content file hasbeen presented at the mobile computing device before; based ondetermining the at least one advertisement to be associated with thecontent file has been presented at the mobile computing device before,generating, at the mobile computing device, an associated advertisementidentifier, wherein the generated associated advertisement identifier isconfigured for use in updating a count managed at a remote server,wherein the count is used to set a value for the at least oneadvertisement; and sending, from the mobile computing device, thegenerated associated advertisement identifier to the remote server. 9.The method of claim 8, wherein the content sharing device is a peerdevice.
 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the remote server is also thecontent sharing device.
 11. The method of claim 8, wherein theassociated advertisement identifier is sent with account informationassociated with the owner of the user device.
 12. The method of claim 8,wherein the associated advertisement identifier is sent with a locationof the mobile device at the time the at least one advertisement waspresented.
 13. The method of claim 8, wherein the associatedadvertisement identifier is sent with user device information indicatinga type of user device.
 14. The method of claim 8, further comprisingdetermining, at the mobile computing device, whether the playback of thereceived content is a first playback.
 15. A system comprising: a mobilecomputing device including a processor and a memory; a content sharingdevice communicatively connected to the mobile computing device by anetwork; and a remote server communicatively connected to the mobilecomputing device by the network; wherein the memory includesinstructions stored thereon that, if executed by the processor, causethe mobile computing device to perform operations comprising: sending arequest for content from the content sharing device; in response to therequest, receiving from the content sharing device, a content filehaving content to be associated with at least one advertisement;determining whether the at least one advertisement to be associated withthe content file has been presented at the mobile computing devicebefore; based on determining the at least one advertisement to beassociated with the content file has been presented at the mobilecomputing device before, generating an associated advertisementidentifier, wherein the generated associated advertisement identifier isconfigured for use in updating a count managed at the remote server,wherein the count is used to set a value for the at least oneadvertisement; and sending the generated associated advertisementidentifier to the remote server.
 16. The system of claim 15, wherein thecontent sharing device is a peer device.
 17. The system of claim 15,wherein the remote server is also the content sharing device.
 18. Thesystem of claim 15, wherein the associated advertisement identifier issent with account information associated with the owner of the userdevice.
 19. The system of claim 15, wherein the associated advertisementidentifier is sent with a location of the mobile device at the time theat least one advertisement was presented.
 20. The system of claim 15,wherein the associated advertisement identifier is sent with user deviceinformation indicating a type of user device.